I have had to assemble it using an IP 67 switch as the IP 68 switches ordered before Christmas are still unavailable, and this is a major UK supplier.

Not RS Components? I've been ordering stuff from them recently and loads of really basic stuff is out of stock. Sometimes the delivery time is a month or so away.

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I have had to assemble it using an IP 67 switch as the IP 68 switches ordered before Christmas are still unavailable, and this is a major UK supplier.

Not RS Components? I've been ordering stuff from them recently and loads of really basic stuff is out of stock. Sometimes the delivery time is a month or so away.

I didn't want to say.
In fairness though, they are stocking (?) stuff that Farnell dont have, but I usually deal with Farnell.

Best laugh at the moment is Kaidomain in HK, they are delivering in 14 days!!!
From Hong Kong!
They send me a Christmas card as well.

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I could spit!
I ran the part number through Farnell and they have 50 in stock for next day delivery, they even slightly cheaper.
I must have missed them when searching.
I do have to say that the RS website I find easier to use.

What am I, yes.

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Do you find some of RS's packaging solutions rather interesting at the moment. Last month, I'd ordered five isolated mosfet gate driver chips.
Next day this huge package arrived about the size of two shoe boxes end to end. Wife went mad - thought I must have spent about a grand. Inside, taking up the end 2" of a two foot shipping tube were the chips, surrounded by a mass of bubble wrap. I hate to think what it cost to pack and ship that £6 order, when a small jiffy bag would have done the job.
Regards Andy

Do you find some of RS's packaging solutions rather interesting at the moment. Last month, I'd ordered five isolated mosfet gate driver chips.
Next day this huge package arrived about the size of two shoe boxes end to end. Wife went mad - thought I must have spent about a grand. Inside, taking up the end 2" of a two foot shipping tube were the chips, surrounded by a mass of bubble wrap. I hate to think what it cost to pack and ship that £6 order, when a small jiffy bag would have done the job.
Regards Andy

It's crazy, I order loads from them - same thing happens all the time for a few items. Also their fetish for putting everything into paper bags - drives me up the wall. I'ved mentioned it to my accoutn manager when he come to see me laods of times over the years and still nothing.

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I have just completed and tested the first X_8 as I chose to call it. basically the innards of the Lynx X2000 moved into the Scorpion. A higher price but better lamp having increased water resistance to IP 68 5 metres and better thermal track floods to ambient. Plus of course the GoPro features.

🔗114345[linkphoto]114345[/linkphoto][/link]

It has more welly. The beams are XP-Ls rather than XM-Ls and the flood that supplements the beams for peripheral lighting is doubled to 100 mA, so standard mode is the magic ratio of 2/3 beam power to 1/3 flood. Of course, by design the supplementary flood lighting remains constant through the 3 beam modes, but the higher the output the less this is needed anyway.
Like the X2000, floods are independently switchable through 3 power modes up to over 2000 lumens.
Power pack will be the flat 4 cell same as the X2000. So this one is done and dusted.

The last announced EX basic has been retested underground with increased welly, now up to 1800 lumens maximum. I will stick with this, a lot more impressive yet still supported by a 2 cell power bank and does not heat up the lamp. Finally had the IP 68 switches arrive, they are a lot lighter and lamp is now down to 173 grams inc the cable.

Its a completely different light pattern to the Lynx X_Basic. I am aware of the range of lamps on offer when these are available, but every one offers something different and will need to be clear about the differences or people will be confused.

The Scorpion X_12 has a delay as I am awaiting chargers. As its going to run on 3 x 18650 cells the 2 amp chargers for the big Lynx Tesla power bank are unsuitable. I only just realised this, max charge rate is 1.6 amps so need 1 amp chargers.

Never mind, I get there in the end, just sometimes takes a long time.

I have been producing lamps now for about 10 years and a lot of my early models are still going strong. But I think this Scorpion is potentially the best yet. The square shape readily lends itself to anything, a flat surface will always mount on another flat surface.

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Scorpions are on sale

The 12 volt power bank for the Scorpion X_12 is of black plastic, holds 3 X 18650 3500 mAh cells, fully potted, and weighs 280 grams.

I have dropped the dive lamp as I realised that I would hardly sell any and too many lamps in the range anyway. I will see what dies a natural death.

What I am doing is offering custom specs at no extra cost.

The EcoStar was one of the most reliable lamps I ever sold and I am offering that as an option in the EX Basic, lead time about 2 weeks per order. I can also offer custom versions of the more powerful ones.
The square box shape readily lends itself to anything I want to stick in it. A flat surface will mount on a flat surface well.

What there will not be for sure is a 7K lumen lamp version. I have looked at this and its a non starter, so when the Lynx X12s are gone that's it for the big bat cookers.

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Scorpions are on sale

so when the Lynx X12s are gone that's it for the big bat cookers.

BAH!! back to the jetboil and tempura batter then!!

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I have just overhauled Ttxela's Magnum Star which was an 8V. Sold 6 years ago the Li Ion power bank was past its landfill date and it had the old Mk1 XML T6's. I made up a new battery and fitted 4 new XM-L 2 U BINS. Regardless of this the lamp was working OK as it came in, just performance down. He looks after it well, it was kept in good condition.

Yours has probably been pickled in ocherous sulphuric acid knowing you

The battery packs dont last for ever, sure fire indication is switching to full power and seeing the lamp slowly dim down. Yours may well be OK, sale date off my fantastic system that knows everything was July 2014. So must be one of the last I made.

You probably love yours as a hot rod, which indeed they were. I was surprised with Alex's how bright it is now upgraded, the issue with these is the weight. But they are very novel.

Trend with the lamps is power up - weight down, technology moves at a fast pace.

If you want to send yours in, I take a look.

If the battery pack is OK you could run a current lamp off it.

Your Trigon probably has a landfill power pack by now, sold June 2012. You may find it economically viable to send everything in by courier for a proper assessment, battery voltage drop under load etc.

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Just send the MS lamp only in.

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I have just overhauled Ttxela's Magnum Star which was an 8V. Sold 6 years ago the Li Ion power bank was past its landfill date and it had the old Mk1 XML T6's. I made up a new battery and fitted 4 new XM-L 2 U BINS. Regardless of this the lamp was working OK as it came in, just performance down. He looks after it well, it was kept in good condition.

Very much appreciated Roy, although it has seem a fair bit of use from my point of view, living in Cambs means it's probably had a much easier life than FPOP's as I imagine he's underground much more often.

I have read the warnings recently about keeping your batteries indoors in cold weather so now keep all my lamps in the house whereas previously they were kept in the shed with the rest of the gear so that may have contributed to the batteries deterioration perhaps.

Its not cold that damages the battery cells, its attempting to charge or use them is sub zero.

As far as your cells go, its more likely the Chinese cells that I was having to use at the time due to high cost of Sanyo or Panasonic. This has all changed with electric cars necessitating higher production and hence lower cost.

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First Scorpion sold, the X12.

Below is the complete kit including cycle and tripod mounts etc

🔗114657[linkphoto]114657[/linkphoto][/link]

the GoPro helmet bracket is very nice

🔗114656[linkphoto]114656[/linkphoto][/link]

I am very proud to be producing this lamp.

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Scorpion X_12 snap on diffuser.

🔗114763[linkphoto]114763[/linkphoto][/link]

Of course the X_8 with its independent floodlights will not need this.

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I have taken the Scorpion EX off sale temporarily as I have conceived some design improvements. non yet sold, so no issues there.
Basically, an EX with high waterproof integrity, maybe suitable for diving, will have a strong appeal for hard cavers who would rather have tough wear features than the ability to cook bats.

It will feature a single lead with no connecting plug, sealed aluminium battery box with charging through a round access plug together with the combined spot and flood as currently described.
Battery check by blue 'Nightrider' actuated by a second IP68 rated button. Obviously the price may well increase but looking at the current price of competitor lamps I feel little to worry about.

Scorpions do have high waterproof integrity, better than the Lynx, however there is a caution on any prolonged immersion other than a few feet would cause water to pass up inside the cable from the plugs. I am currently testing the limits of this this as I have an 8 feet deep pool, no kidding.

I am aware that no ordinary cavers or mine explorers will be spending 2 hours 8 feet under water though. Diving means diving.

Will advise in due course.

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I have just overhauled Ttxela's Magnum Star which was an 8V. Sold 6 years ago the Li Ion power bank was past its landfill date and it had the old Mk1 XML T6's. I made up a new battery and fitted 4 new XM-L 2 U BINS. Regardless of this the lamp was working OK as it came in, just performance down. He looks after it well, it was kept in good condition.

Very much appreciated Roy, although it has seem a fair bit of use from my point of view, living in Cambs means it's probably had a much easier life than FPOP's as I imagine he's underground much more often.

I have read the warnings recently about keeping your batteries indoors in cold weather so now keep all my lamps in the house whereas previously they were kept in the shed with the rest of the gear so that may have contributed to the batteries deterioration perhaps.

The Magnumstar has now returned from it's rebuild. I hyave to say I'm very pleased. It's back to its full performance as I remember it in my brief test on receipt.

I've yet to try it underground again but no doubt I will before too long 😎

This weekend saw the first test of my new Dragon Ex - on Saturday a trip into Peak Cavern, where I was able to light up the whole of Five Arches, which makes a nice change, as it's a dingy place at the best of times. The Main Streamway up to Far Sump was also rather pretty, now being able to see all the roof from the floor. We also did the grovelly climb up Watershed Aven and into Boom! with no issues, though ironically the 'low' brightness setting is not that low with a rebelay to pass in a 1-foot wide muddy rift! It got very wet and muddy by the end of the trip, so had to be hosed clean.

Yesterday was digging in Longcliffe, which is mostly close-proximity very white limestone, so I didn't need full power at all, apart from looking up the shaft at the end. Again, it got very muddy, and bashed about a bit, but no issues at all. It's on its first recharge now.

I think the only possible risk is in really tight and gnarly stuff, which I am known to do, where the cable may protrude away from the helmet enough to get caught or bashed, but I can always swap to the Stenlight in those conditions I guess. Overall I'm very pleased, and the full power setting really is impressive when there's the space to use it. There may be a Titan trip soon, so that will be the ultimate test I guess.

If it's owt like my old MagnumStar it'll be (literally) brilliant.

Lit up the big Oakley chambers like a pound of magnesium ribbon.....:lol:

I think the only possible risk is in really tight and gnarly stuff, which I am known to do, where the cable may protrude away from the helmet enough to get caught or bashed,

Why I enclose cable ties in the fitting kit?
You may have to drill some extra holes though, but it wont weaken the helmet. The cables certainly need tying down along the side of the helmet. An alternative is self adhesive cable secures, but I have never tried them.

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I've threaded an adjustable rubber garden tie that I found at home through the lowest vent hole (it's on a vented Ecrin Roc), which did the trick in the side-centre, but it's the cable-protectors that ensure the stand-off at front and back. It's not really an issue for most trips - we're talking body-sized rifts and crawls here, which I try and avoid where possible, but digging sometimes takes me into that.